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The Dimension Loader controls the levels for dimensions used throughout PMF. When you first create a new dimension, determine its logical levels. For example, a Customer dimension might include country, region, state, and city.

The mainstreet_century data mart supplied with PMF uses four typical business dimensions: Location, Organization, Product, and Time. All PMF applications must include a Time dimension.

Important: If you have existing measures, and dimensions are loaded or reloaded, changing this information has a ripple effect throughout the system, so make changes carefully. If you change the intended value member or number of levels in any dimension, you will probably need to reload all data for that dimension, as well as reload all measures.

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Note: If your procedures and metadata are not located in the Mainstreet application, make sure you have added the WebFOCUS application containing them to the WebFOCUS Reporting Server APP PATH setting before you attempt a load operation. You can do this using the Web Console.

The following procedure outlines the steps required when designing a simple dimension load. For information about designing a complex dimension load when customizing the Time dimension, see Designing a Custom Time Dimension Load.

1. In the Manage tab click the Dimensions panel button.
2. Click a dimension, for example, L-Location.

   The Dimension Loader panel opens, as shown in the following image.

   

   Note: The Dimension Loader automatically loads and displays the levels defined for the metadata and checks the dimension to make sure it is correctly set up. If anything is wrong, the Load status list displays the error.

3. From the Table Type drop-down list, select one of the following options:
   • Separate table. Activates the Key Field drop-down list from which you can select a uniquely identifiable key field that will link the source table, when the dimension is loaded, to the measures you will load later.
   • From measures. Selecting this option means that the table from which the measures are loaded contains the values for the dimensionality. This option is normally used when loading data from an OLAP cube that is not normalized.
   • Custom coding. Activates the Define Procedure drop-down list from which you can select a procedure that provides the customized code for loading the dimension.
   • Time AutoGen. This option is only available for the Time dimension. You can automatically generate a standard Time dimension by selecting a value in each of the Start Month, Start Year, and End Year fields before loading the dimension.
4. From the Source Table drop-down list, select a source table or Master File for the dimension. Optionally, specify a key field or define a procedure.
5. In the Level Name field, type a dimension level name for each dimension you add.
6. From the Source drop-down list, select Top, Field, or Define.

   Note: This field is only available if you have selected either the From measures or Separate table option from the Table Type drop-down list.

7. Do one of the following:
   • If you selected Top from the Source drop-down list, in the Field/Define Code field box, type the name you want to display as the top level dimension value, for example, Company-wide or All. You will most likely want to add a new level above all existing levels before using the Top option.
   • If you selected Define from the Source drop-down list, type the code in the Field/Define Code field box. Code can span multiple lines, and this field can only display one line of code at a time.

     To view, and optionally edit, multiple lines of code displayed at the top of the Dimension Loader, click the Edit button. Click the OK button to save any changes, otherwise click the Cancel button.

   • If you selected Field from the Source drop-down list, select a field from the Field/Define Code drop-down list.

     Note: If you select a text field longer than 30 characters, the loader displays the following message and generates a WebFOCUS function to automatically truncate the field. You can also edit the code to perform more complex text manipulation.

     

     Note: If you select an integer field, the loader displays the following message and generates a WebFOCUS function to automatically convert the field to text.

     

   For information about additional fields and options available in the Dimension Loader, see Additional Options in the Dimension Loader.

   Note: Whenever you make any changes in the Dimension Loader, the changes will not be effective until you save the changes, and load the dimension and any associated measures.

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When you design a dimension load, the following options are available in the Dimension Loader.

Option	Description
Prefix Code	This button opens a field box in which you can type FOCUS or SQL code that will run before the dimension is loaded. Click OK to save the code or Cancel to close the field box without saving your changes. If the table you are using is DBA protected, you can type the command SET USER = user_DBA_ password before you select the source table. For example, the sample Century Corp data uses the password WEBFOCUS.
Description	This button opens a field box in which you can type a description of the dimension load. Click OK to save the description or Cancel to close the field box without saving your changes.
Preview	This button runs and displays the Dimension Loader report in the "Data for" tab of the Dimension Loader. This report shows you how the load will be performed. For more information, see Interpreting the Dimension Loader Report. Note: You must select at least a Level 1 field in order to activate this option.
Save	This button saves metadata information for this dimension. You must save any changes you make before you can perform a dimension load.
Load	This button performs the dimension load. Use this to load dimensions after you add new or edit existing information in the Dimension Loader.
Schedule	This button opens the dimension load schedule form where you can schedule a one-time or recurring dimension load. For more information, see Running and Scheduling a Dimension Load.
Sample Data	This button displays a report in a new browser window, showing sample data for the source table you selected in the Source Table drop-down list. For more information, see Sample Data From Source Tables.
Add Level Below	This button adds an additional dimension level field below the field currently selected with the option button to the left of the Level Name.
Add Level Above	This button adds an additional dimension level field above the field currently selected with the option button to the left of the Level Name.
Drop Level	This button deletes the dimension level field currently selected with the option button to the left of the Level Name.
Move Level Up	This button moves the dimension level field currently selected up one level. Use the option button to the left of the Level Name to select a field to move.
Move Level Down	This button moves the dimension level field currently selected down one level. Use the option button to the left of the Level Name to select a field to move.
Delete if not in new (check box)	This check box controls how the loader handles records in the dimension load with corresponding dimension values that are no longer in the dimension series. If you select this check box, records are deleted, archived, and not restored after the load is completed. If you deselect this check box, records are deleted, archived, and restored after the load is completed.
Dim. Tolerances (check box)	Selecting this check box activates dimensional tolerances for this dimension. This enables you to select a measure and configure tolerances for each dimension level value. Note: This option will only be available if Dimensional Measure Tolerances in the Tolerances settings is enabled. For more information, see How to Set Dimensional Measure Tolerances.
Dim. Weights (check box)	Selecting this check box activates dimensional measure-to-objective weighting for this dimension. This enables you to select an objective and configure tolerances for each dimension level value. Note: This option will only be available if Dimensional Measure Weights in the Tolerances settings is enabled. For more information, see How to Set Dimensional Measure-to-Objective Weighting.

Note: As you load dimensions, make sure to document them in the Description field box.

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This functionality is only available for new dimensions created in PMF Release 5.

1. In the Manage tab, click the Settings panel button.

   The Settings menu opens.

2. On the Tolerances panel, set Dimensional Measure Tolerances to Y.
3. Click Save.
4. Click the Dimensions panel button.
5. Select the desired dimension.

   The Dimension Loader panel opens.

6. Select the Dim. Tolerances check box to activate dimensional measure tolerances for this dimension.
7. Click Save.
8. Click the Measures panel button (in either the Manage or Author tab).
9. Select the desired measure to set tolerances at different dimension levels.
10. Click the Tolerances button to open the Dimensional Tolerances panel.
11. Configure tolerances for each desired dimension level.
12. Click Save.

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This functionality is only available for new dimensions created in PMF Release 5.

1. In the Manage tab, click the Settings panel button.

   The Settings menu opens.

2. On the Tolerances panel, set Dimensional Measure Weights to Y.
3. Click Save.
4. Click the Dimensions panel button.
5. Select the desired dimension.
6. Select the Dim. Weights check box to activate dimensional measure-to-objective weighting for this dimension.
7. Click Save.
8. In the Author tab, click the Objectives panel button.
9. Select the desired objective to set weights at different dimension levels.
10. Click the Objective Weights button to open the Dimensional Measure Weights panel.
11. Configure weights for each desired dimension level.

    Use the sliders or type in weighting values. Weights must total exactly 100%.

12. Click Save.

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1. In the Dimension Loader, click the Schedule button.

   For the dimension you selected, for example, Location, the New Schedule panel opens, as shown in the following image.

   

   Note: The New Schedule panel generates Interval, Start Date, and Start Time values based on the values you specified for the load. The schedule is active by default. You can edit these values as needed.

2. Optionally, enter a new Job Description and specify new Interval, Start Date, and Start Time values. You may be prompted for additional information, depending on the interval you select.
3. Click Save to save the new schedule.

For information on editing a saved schedule, see Manage Tab - Schedules.

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1. On the Manage tab, click the Dimensions tab, then click the Time Dimension. PMF displays the Dimension Loader for Time. The example below shows the typical configuration for Time (using Time AutoGen):

   

2. In the Month Display drop-down, select an option from the table list below:

   Option	Description
   Number (default)	Displays the month as (most typically) a two-digit number.
   Abbreviation	Displays the month as a name, using the standard three-character abbreviation for the month (for example, Jan, Feb, Mar, and so on). Note: If you are using PMF configured for another language other than English, the length of the Abbreviation could vary, or be the same as the full length.
   Full Name	Displays the month as a name using the long version of the name of the month (for example, January, February, March, and so on). Note: If you are using PMF configured for another language, the length of the Full Name could vary, or be the same as the Abbreviation.

3. For the Month Display Position, select a position from the table list below:

   Option	Description
   Before Year	Position the month name before the Year (for example, Jan/2009, Feb/2009, Mar/2009, and so on).
   After Year	Position the month name after the Year (for example, 2009/Jan, 2009/Feb, 2009/Mar, and so on).

   The Month Display Position drop-down is only available if Month Display is set to Abbreviation.

   Note: The position you select does not affect how the dates sort in any PMF Views or Gadgets.

4. If you are using an alternate Time Dimension layout (for example, Years/Months/Weeks, Years/Quarters/Months/Weeks), you will see another option called Month Level. For this option, tell PMF the level in the Time Dimension that represents Months, so that PMF can determine where the name or number is to be displayed.

   Important: If your alternate Time Dimension layout does not include a logical level for Months, select 0 to suppress Month display logic.

5. Click Save, then click Load to reload your Time Dimension and populate it with display month values as you indicated in the Time Dimension configuration. Once you do this, you will see the Month Name option displayed on all PMF Views and Gadgets.

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Example: Month Names in PMF Views

After you have configured Month Name display, Month Names display in your PMF Views and Gadgets the way you have configured them, as shown in the following examples. The following examples uses the data from the PMF manufacturing demo data mart.

Rolling 5 Periods. The following is an image which displays View drilled to Month level, with the current date set to Feb 2006.

Measure Details. The following is an image which displays the Month Names of the Measure Details drill for 2005/Q1.